life and a jogging track-analogies

here i am again in a very philosophical mood as i write this post early morning...its something i realized yesterday on my usual jog to end point(a very scenic place in Manipal) and the end point track looks something like the above figure...
and this is how i relate it to life-
1.the starting point of the track is not my starting point...i start running much before that..that gives me a sufficient warm up and when i start running on the track i focus all my attention to my final goal the end.....
analogy to life-we all attend schools and professional courses before we begin the real race...so these courses count as a warm up for me...its not important to excel in a warm up as it is so in the real race but a warm up gives you a sound foundation to be able to run...it equips you to face the fatigue while running....and when you finally start running...when you cross that starting point all you crave for is success...climbing the ladder...

2.then comes the second part...just after crossing that starting point....your destination is clear..you are motivated to reach that other end of the road...you run and run putting your maximum effort..the end point road is not smooth...sometime you have to make way for runners who are faster than you and sometimes for vehicles...and off course there are the speed breakers to obstruct your path and slow you down...
this is how i relate the second stage with life-
soon after you graduate you are a self reliable individual who has his/her own aims (small or high but each one of us has certain aims right?and even if you din't or you don't wat the heck read on !!:)) now this individual is motivated to carve out a life for himself...to do something that give's him that feeling of self worth so he is naturally determined to move ahead...and off course there are people who are faster or much better than him in whatever it is he does but he does'nt get tired when he looks at them...it only makes him more committed to reach that target he has set out for himself...and there are always people who disparage whatever he achieves or whenever he puts an extra effort but that doesn't bother him either..instead he has a point to prove now...thats how i compare critics to speed breakers they are there to stop you but you step on them and push against them to give yourself that extra force....

as you see in the figure to your left if you apply an extra force at the topmost point of the speed breaker it pushes you forward(remember the 3rd law!!) so similarly if you put in an extra effort towards silencing your critics you'll not only silence them but will move ahead with a higher acceleration..and with an increased confidence...







now comes the 3rd part of the run....after you have traveled a decent amount of distance you are a bit tired but still you want to go on again hoping for some relief..and then you see that downward slope...it relieves you...you just break free and start running fast...and you love it..you enjoy it...
analogy with life-after a certain point in your career when you are used to what you do you get that big raise...that big promotion..that big investment opportunity..which relieves you financially...makes you thank everyone...makes you realize that you can be the best..

now comes the final part of your run...you see a straight road ahead and then a very steep upward slope....and it scares you..tests your mental toughness..can you still do it?..but determined you move on...you keep running until you reach that slant ..that gate to your final destination...you feel like giving up but still you keep going because you have already covered so much...maybe a little more....then you feel the pain...you go up slowly...your running speed decreases drastically...you reach the limit of your will power...your legs want to quit...your lungs are tired...but the beauty of it is you love that pain once you get used to it...it gives you a feeling that you are fit and steady so the pain is worth it....
you can easily relate this to life...once you leach the last few years of your career you feel like quitting...but still you go on because you have already achieved so much...maybe a little more will be an additional reward for your achievements...so you keep going on...but you have much more responsibility now....sometimes you cant take it....sometimes you want to quit...but still it is worth the pain,..because you love what you do now..and you are used to taking charge now...

and then with a final sprint at the end it all ends...and you feel great for having completed the run...and then you relax and look back at the amazing distance you have covered...and you sit there watching others coming behind you...
same for life...when you retire you reflect on the things you achieved in your life..the people you met..the things you learned...and you look at the person you are now....and tell him well done brother!!

well and thats it..i hope i did a good job :)

do you think you are unique???

chaos...chaos is the word....when i see the world growing around me.....engineers..managers..scientists..artists...industries..competition...money..power...the world in which we live has always been the same...people still have the same so called 'drives' in their lives..in their work people search for uniqueness...but isn't the concept of being unique,being different not unique after all!! din't we as kids always get the same old advice...do something different..something unique...something that gets you noticed...and we did!! the result..appreciation by peers..by parents...i can't count how many times i have heard people say "each individual has something new to offer to this world"....by saying this we are actually giving excuses for our finite minds!! for instance take me...i always make excuses to myself...no i can't paint...no i can't do calligraphy...no i can't be a pilot....but the real question is did i really try?? and to be frank i never really tried to paint or improve my handwriting and i have always assumed that i am a bad driver....and thanks to this post i am realizing so many things i have been lately neglecting....so its very important for us to keep exploring ourself...very important for us to keep our mind excited everyday...very important to explore its untouched areas...because you never no when you get tired of your work and suddenly find that you are in the middle of nowhere...because you dont have any other explored section in your mind except for your work.....so specialization according to me is not a way of life diversity is....specialization can give you immense material benefits....immense work satisfaction...but really a man on his death bed does not look at the one specific thing he did great in his life but life as a whole...